Millions of years ago, dinosaurs ruled side by side with ants. Ants then were as large as the dinosaurs. Ants were known to be sneaky and full of pranks, and the whole animal kingdom knew that. One day, of the ants named Anthony, decided that he wanted to have a party. He invited the whole kingdom. At first, everyone was skeptical, because this might just be one of his schemes. After some time though, they figured that Anthony was sincere. In truth, Anthony really was sincere, and he really wanted to have that party. He only had one target for his prank: the spiders. The party was set at 7 PM. So while Anthony invited everyone to be at the party place called “The On Time” place to be there at 7 PM sharp, he told the spiders to be there at 7:30 PM. Now, there was only one rule for parties during that era, and that is you should come on time, or you would not be able to get in. So everyone got dressed to their best. They were all at the venue by 7 PM. The spiders also came in with their best dress and suits but were there at 7:30 PM. As expected, they were not allowed to get in. The spiders were left outside to freeze. A few days later, everyone heard about what happened to the spiders, so they thought of a scheme. They set up another party, but this time everyone was told to come at 7 PM. The ants were served special drinks, which the ants happily lapped up. These special drinks were laced with a special potion that would shrink anyone who drinks it to tiny creatures. By the time the ants realized what was happening, it was too late. They were already very tiny creatures. Their offspring would become the small ants that we know today. Or so the legend says.
There is really no explanation as to why ants are so small. Mother Nature made them that way. Being small allowed them to survive since time immemorial, making them bigger would probably be not a good idea for their species. We have had a hard time getting rid of them primarily because they are so small - they can fit into the smallest of holes and cracks on our walls. Humans, over their free time, would just think up of stories like this to fill in some questions that actually have no answers.
Fortunately, there are several ways we can get our homes free of ants.
What Are Ants?
Ants are also legendary for the way they work together as a team. Each ant knows what he or she is supposed to do for the good of the colony. Humans can learn a lot from the way they work with each other, sacrificing their own self for the survival of the colony.
Ants are known for their brute strength. They can carry as much as 50 times their own weight. That is like a single human lifting a car by himself.
It is true, ants are hard workers. They work non stop to look for food, protect their nests, and care for their young. However, they can be such pests too. They become pests when they start to invade our homes and office buildings. They swarm our food. Apart from that, they also can cause more structural damages to our homes more than termites can. Unbelievable but true.
There are at least 10,000 species of ants throughout the world. Most of them live in the forests though, and only a few actually make it to our homes and office buildings to become pests.
Ants As Pests
Ants can do a lot of pesky things in our homes. They steal our food. They are mostly attracted to sweets, but they steal almost anything now. From grains to cereals to bread and even meats, anything is fair game. And of course, seeing ants crawl on your walls can be such an embarrassing sight.
One type of ant we should also look out for is the carpenter ants. Carpenter ants can cause more structural damages to our homes more than termites could. They chew through the wood but do not eat them.
Getting Rid Of Ants
If ant infestation is bothering you, do not fear. There are many simple ways of getting rid of them. In fact, you can either do it yourself or get the services of the best pest experts in High Point NC, Go-Forth Home Services.
But if you still have the time to do things yourself, and you would want to save a few dollars, then there are ways to get rid of these pesky ants yourself.
- Seal off cracks, crevices, and holes. Ants would definitely come from outside the house. Sealing these off would prevent them from coming in as these can be used as their entry points.
- You can try using diatomaceous earth. This consists of fossilized remains of diatoms. It has an abrasive feel, like little shards of broken glass. This absorbs lipids from the ants’ outer layer. These are Diatomaceous earth can cause several cuts on the ant's body when they crawl on it, causing them to lose water vapor from their body, and bleed and eventually die. It works this way because diatomaceous earth is small, jagged granules. Choose food grade diatomaceous earth so that it will be safe around kids and pets. Use it on places where you always find ants. You can purchase this from a local gardening store near you.
- Cut off their food supply. Place food in a sealed container. This will prevent them from stealing it. Worker ants are always on the patrol, looking for food. If they do not find any, then there is no reason to stay in your house. If it has to be put on the fridge, then put it there at once.
- Use a double sided sticky tape and place it around food as bait. Ants will be trapped on the tape as they attempt to get near the food.
- Cover your trash cans with lid, if these do not have any. The trash is, of course, another food source.
- Regularly throw away your garbage.
- Check around the house for any damaged wood. If there are, then make sure to repair them. If you have to replace them, then do so. Carpenter ants like to nest in rotting, wet, or damaged wood.
- Use baking soda that is mixed with powdered sugar. Baking soda kills the ants, and the powdered sugar masks the odor. The baking soda does not instantly kill them, it sticks to their bodies which they then carry back to the colony. There, ants get killed, including the queen.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to vacuum off the ants. Afterward, seal the bag and throw it outside.
- Wipe of drink spills, especially sweet drinks. Ants are attracted to these. Wipe them off the table, kitchen sinks, and floors.
- Sweep away any food residue. Bread crumbs, cereals, and other food bits should be removed from the table or off the floor.
- You may buy commercial bug poisons from the market. There are plenty of brands to choose from. We suggest that you buy the one with a spout. Containers with a spout are easy to direct so you can spray it on the ants. Be sure to read the directions first, and avoid spraying it on another person.
- When you see a few ants on a trail, chances are thousands more would soon follow. This is because, like many other insects, ants leave of a pheromone trail so that ants can trace them. As soon as you track the ant's trail, kill them off by using soapy water, all-purpose cleaner, or bleach solution. Not only do you kill ants this way, but you also remove the pheromone trail this way.
If you are overwhelmed with too many ants in your house despite all the efforts to eliminate them, then it is time to call in the best pest experts in North Carolina, Go-Forth Home Services.
Simply The Best In Pest Control
Go-Forth Home Services is a family-owned company that earned the trust of residents and business establishments in High Point since 1959. They have excellent experience in exterminating pests like ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches, mice, fleas, spiders, weevils, moths, and many other pests. They have a team of professional experts who are highly skilled and well-trained, using only state of the art equipment.
The company has also established its presence in many different cities. They have served in Asheboro, Blythewood, Charlotte, Camden, Greenville, Greensboro, Jamestown, West Columbia, and many other cities in North and South Carolina. You may check our Facebook or Google us to see what our satisfied customers have to say about us.
Say goodbye to your pest problems now. Contact us to set an appointment. Our friendly operators are standing by.